Just the Two of Us
by MonsieurToast
Summary: It was a moment that had been a long, long time coming. With a whole world essentially to themselves and some well-deserved time off, love did, indeed, find a way. Korrasami; Oneshot; Rated K for Kissing.


The night up until this point had been the best one that Korra'd had in years. With Kuvira defeated, balance restored to the world and her health finally, fully returned to her, finally, she could relax again, happily returned to the company of those she loved. The wedding and immediate after-party from earlier in the evening was just the icing on the cake.

Anybody could see that Varrick and Zhu Li were perfect for each other, and they sure as hell knew how to make a gathering like this more interesting. That glider stunt almost ended really, _really_ badly, but somehow, Zhu Li still managed to do The Thing, saving Varrick and Tenzin both from a little trouble. At least, until Varrick tried to land, that is – he may have gotten out of it unscathed, but the same thing couldn't be said for the glider that he had commandeered. Korra couldn't help but wince at the thought of the earful Tenzin must've been giving the newlywed by now, a thought which also caused her to laugh, a smile reaching her lips like she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

The girl sighed contentedly.

More than all of the fun and the dance and the chatting with friends, it was the quieter moments like these that she'd_ really_ missed. Being able to just stand there and take it all in. The sights, the sounds, the serene power and majesty of the Earth herself – it felt like it had been a hundred years since she'd last had the chance to just _relax_, but it was a hundred years worth waiting through.

Still... she couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

The last time she had the chance to just relax and soak in the world like this, she was with Mako. Things had changed a lot between them since then, and while they remained extremely close as friends, that's all that they were now, not that she was really complaining. They were better comrades than lovers, and she'd realized that years ago. Nevertheless, looking over this view without anybody else by her side, she couldn't help but feel just the tiniest bit lonely, just for a moment, but it was a moment that was very short-lived – from around the corner, she could feel the presence of the person she had been waiting for draw nearer. She'd been left waiting a little bit longer than she'd hoped, but she couldn't really complain. She needed this.

"Are you ready?" The young Avatar asked, breaking the silence. She didn't immediately turn to face the one she was speaking to, but when they stood next to her – when _she_ stood next to her – from the corner of her eye, she could see a warm smile creep its way across her bright, red lips, a smile she couldn't help but return in earnest.

"Yeah, I'm ready." The dark-haired engineer replied simply, taking in the same scenery as the belle of the Southern Water Tribe, soaking in the colors of the sunset of their world one last time before she and the Avatar left it behind them, if only for the next couple of weeks or so.

It had been decided earlier that evening between the two of them that the head of Future Industries would be taking a well-deserved break, an impromptu vacation to the Spirit World, exploring it by the Avatar's side. They'd just finished preparing for their departure not even minutes before, gathering any necessary supplies and letting the pertinent parties know beforehand where it was they were going. After everything that'd happened these last couple of months – these last couple of _years_ – nobody could really argue with them. This vacation was _more _than well-deserved. With balance restored and Kuvira's trial ongoing, the world could take care of itself for a couple of weeks, maybe even the next 1 or 2 months. However long it was the two of them decided to stay.

Whatever the case, finally, the two of them walked forward, side-by-side, toward the newly-formed Spirit Portal in the center of what was once a part of Republic City. It was hard to believe that something so beautiful could be born of such destruction, that a door like this could be opened through such pain, but somehow, with its presence, it almost seemed as though the world were better off for it.

As they drew nearer, they stopped for a moment, readying themselves one more time for the impending journey. Going through a Spirit Portal for the first time could be quite the experience. For Asami, who'd never been in the Spirit World _at all_ before, it was an entirely new experience – she had no idea what to expect. While for Korra, it was still a little bit weird, as it wasn't exactly something she did every day. Not like this, anyway. Being taken in directly, body and all... it wasn't like meditation at all.

But in less than a second, the two were ready, their resolves steeled at each other's sides moments before, and Korra glanced over to Asami, smiling warmly. She was ready. The young industrialist quickly returned the favor. The look in her eyes... no more words needed to be exchanged. That one, brief glance was enough.

Both their hearts began to beat a little bit faster than before. Neither was sure who between them had reached their hand out first – Korra, or Asami? – or if they'd both just instinctively reached out for one another at the same time, but without even fully registering it, they'd each grasped the other's hand tightly and took their last few steps just like that, entering into the warm, golden glow of the Portal and wasting no time in turning to face one another as soon as they had entered, reaching out with their free arms so that both were now clasped together, warm and tight.

With nothing else in front of them but each other, they found their gazes growing quickly affixed to one another's, their eyes locking as they stood there, feeling the rush of spiritual energy begin to envelop both of their forms. Korra's head tilted upward ever-so-slightly, but her eyes were doing most of the work, staring deeply into the emerald forests of Asami's own, both girls smiling more contentedly than ever, somewhat overtaken by the moment, but remaining nevertheless composed in the other's hold where they felt safe.

From the perspective of anybody who may have watched them enter from outside of the portal, they may have disappeared into the light hand-in-hand, but when they found themselves on the other side of it, it was both hand-in-hand _and _mouth-to-mouth. Again, they were uncertain who had initiated the action first, or if they'd both just instinctively drawn the same conclusion, reading the moment and following through with what both of them had privately been yearning for, leaning forward at the same time so that their lips would meet with the same intentions.

Either way, it wasn't anywhere near as awkward as either of them feared it would be. In fact, it felt right. More right than anything else had felt in years. But it definitely lasted longer than either of them had anticipated. Time had quickly became a foreign concept to them, as too did any after-effects of first-time Spirit Portal entry, a fact which Asami took careful mental note of: passionate make-outs with the Avatar = perfect crossing method.

By this point, their eyes were closed and their bodies had drawn even closer. Arms and clasped hands that were previously stretched loosely out in front of them were now bent and raised slightly from when Korra had taken an extra step or two forward in the process of tenderly meeting her new girlfriend's face with her own, a position both parties found to be more comfortable, more _right_. A position that both of them held for what felt like an eternity, melting in each other's presence.

And then it hit them – they'd been essentially locked together, mouth-to-mouth, for almost 30 seconds now. Time may have _felt_ like it was standing still, but their bodies knew better, and the urge to breathe was quickly overcoming both of them. Asami took another mental note – breathing was still a requirement in the Spirit World. Extended diving in any spirit lakes or oceans beyond what she'd normally be able to do was out of the question. This time, anyway.

Reluctantly, the two of them parted, their eyes opening and chests quickly, but calmly, expanding and retracting rhythmically as they panted to catch their breath, Korra somewhat hunched and holding onto her knees while Asami just kind of laughed, lightly holding onto her chest. Did that really just happen?

They were both prepared and completely _un_prepared for that kiss, which showed in the mix of confusion and contentment painted in bright red on both of their faces. Their lips curled into uncontrollable smiles, Korra could still taste Asami on hers, much like how she imagined Asami could taste her in turn, but Korra also caught wind of something else. Was that... cinnamon? Did Asami wear flavored lipstick? Korra honestly never knew that before. Then again, she'd never taken the chance to taste her lips first-hand before, either, so that kind of went without saying. The mixture of sensations was one she could get used to, though.

Being the Avatar, the supposedly all-powerful, ceaselessly wise, infinitely brave bringer of peace and joy and harmony, Korra felt like it was her responsibility to say those three little words first. She felt like it would be easy. But Asami knew Korra better than that. In her head, Korra was probably still freaking out a little bit over what had just happened. It certainly _felt_ right, and it _looked_ like that feeling was mutual, but this was still a lot to process, there was still probably a little bit of doubt buried in there. Doubt which Asami wasn't going to let Korra keep for even a second more. Quickly regaining her composure, Asami replied before Korra could even think of words that could be replied to.

"I know." And first, that was all she said, but those two words alone were enough to cause Korra to look up from her still somewhat hunched position, a half-excited, half-unsure smile on her face and hope in her eyes. Did Asami mean what she thought she meant? "I love you too." ...She did. The smile that was previously open and showing her snow-white teeth then closed as it grew wider and Korra stood up tall again, a tear streaming out the corner of her eye and down her face. A tear of happiness, and relief, and love, and a million other emotions she knew she would never be able to put into words. Not that she really had to, that one tear said it all.

Asami's smile also grew wider as she tilted her head ever-so-slightly to her right, amused at the girl's reaction. The relief on Korra's face was, itself, relieving. They'd been through a lot together, and it had been becoming clear to the both of them for a while now that something more was beginning to blossom between the two of them, they just didn't really know how to put that out there or into words until this moment. And it was the greatest moment either of them had ever shared. For this moment, the two of them simply stared at one another, until Korra finally mustered up the courage to break the silence by saying what it was she was trying to resolve herself to say before, Asami's preemptive strike of a reply be damned.

"I love you." She said it. She almost couldn't believe she actually said it.

Falling into the dark-haired woman's somewhat surprised arms with those words, Korra raised her own and held lightly onto the young woman's chest, closing her eyes and resting her head in her new girlfriend's shoulder, just letting the moment sink in, any remaining stress melt away, and the joyful, triumphant tears stream out. Asami then embraced _her _new girlfriend in turn, her arms somehow finding their way around the Avatar's back and waist. That thought alone was a hell of a thought to sink in – the Avatar. She had just kissed _the Avatar_. Usually, Korra was just Korra to her, and she still was, but Korra was also the Avatar, and that just made this whole thing kind of mind-boggling to think about – her girlfriend was _the Avatar_.

Asami had seen Korra vulnerable before, but never like this. This was a different kind of vulnerability, a happy kind. This was trust, faith, hope; the vulnerability of love. It was a vulnerability that she, too, felt, to some degree. A vulnerability that she wanted more of. Having her arms around Korra and Korra's head on her chest was just... it was indescribable. As Asami, too, closed her eyes again, the two of them just stood there, soaking in each other's presence, their warmth. Their love.

Their love...

"I could get used to this, you know," Korra began, breaking the silence they'd been sharing since Korra had fallen quite willfully into Asami's arms. "Just us, like this?" The whole thing was rhetorical, but Asami couldn't help but respond to it, anyway. There was a lot she wanted to say, and she had to start somewhere.

"Yeah. I think I could get used to it, too. It'd be nice to have somebody to hold like this every day. Somebody to look forward to coming home to." Korra giggled. That, like a lot of feelings right now, was mutual. But there was something else Korra wanted to say. Something else she wanted Asami to know. She wanted her to know how much this actually meant to her, to try and vocalize what she was feeling, not just show it. Her smile weakening for just a moment, she then went on to do just that.

"...You know... before, when we were just sitting there after the party, I wanted to apologize to you for being gone for so long, but now I feel like maybe I wanted to apologize to myself for that a little bit, too. I missed you so much, and I didn't even really realize _how_ much until I tried writing you a letter and felt like I wanted to cry. Progress was really slow at the time and it had begun to hit me how I might never get better, how I might never get to see you again, and it hurt. I didn't realize how much I missed you until I realized I might never be able to see you again and tell you..." Even though she'd just said it moments before, she found herself somewhat struggling to say it again. But she wasn't going to have Asami preemptively replying to her a second time.

Pulling away, both girls faced each other again as Korra stared deeply into Asami's eyes. "...How much I love you." She finished, beginning to see tears well up around Asami's eyes, too, now. The girl began to lift her left arm to wipe them away, but Korra's right had beaten her to it, the back of her right index finger gently wiping the gradually forming tears away from her eyes with a smile. For a girl from the South Pole, Korra had a smile that could melt a glacier.

"...I always knew you'd come back, though. Avatar or no Avatar, you're the strongest person I've ever met." Asami replied. "I wanted to help you, but I knew that I could only do so much, that this was something you wanted to... that you_ had to_ make it through on your own. And you did, and you came back, just like I knew you would. I think I had the same realization when we were writing each other, too. I've just been waiting for the right chance to put it all into words." She began. She wouldn't say that this whole thing was awkward per say, but it was certainly new to her. She hadn't been so candid about these sorts of feelings in a long time.

"...But, I missed you too, you know?" Asami explained, her arms now long-since returned to her sides, but yearning to reach back out to Korra's. Every inch of her just wanted to reach back out to Korra, every fiber of her being just wanted to _kiss_ her, again. To feel her warm lips, to pull her close so that she could feel her heart pound like hers was, to bask herself in that love. She'd waited for this moment for even longer than she'd realized, and she was craving Korra now more than ever before.

"I know." Korra replied, mimicking Asami's from moments prior, this time with an even wider, keener smile on her face. Her response dual in nature, both an acknowledgment of Asami's sentiments _and_ her desires, desires that Korra, too, couldn't help but feel overtaking her as she reached up her arms, hanging them tenderly over Asami's shoulders and wrapping them loosely behind her neck as Asami's own both found their way back around Korra's waist. For a second, they just stared at each other, smiling, both 100% conscious of what the other was about to do this time and ready to take it on in full. Whatever else there was left to say, their eyes took care of it for them.

Slowly, they closed their eyes again, each one bringing the other closer than they were before, tilting their heads slightly into opposite directions as their lips met one more time for a passionate kiss, similar to the one from before, yet also somehow different. More warm, more assured. There was nothing more right in either world than this, right now, and it felt as though fireworks were going on around the both of them as they embraced each other for the first of what they knew would be many, many, _many_ times to come.

There was a whole new world all around them just waiting to be explored, but at least for right now, the only worlds that they were interested in were the ones held lovingly in both of their arms and the new ones they felt as though were exploding into existence between their lips with every passing second, each one bringing with it another promise of endless possibility.

And it was in that moment, locked in that embrace, that they both knew – this was going to be the best vacation _ever_.

And the best part of all?

It was just the two of them.


End file.
